"Why, certainly," said Mrs. Twining, a hint of amusement in her voice. She glanced through the statement and moved back to the bureau and sat down. Dipping a large quill pen in the ink-pot she wrote in a flowing hand across the bottom of the last page, Julia Margaret Twining." Then she blotted it carefully and held it out to Harding. She still seemed to be rather amused. "There you are, Inspector."
He took the statement and looked at the signature before folding the document up again.
"You did say my full name, didn't you?" said Mrs. Twining.
"I did," replied Harding, returning the statement to his pocket.
"Such a nuisance for you to have had to come all this way for so little," she remarked. "Is that really the only thing you wanted?"
"As a matter of fact it isn't," said Harding. "Partly I came to see you in the hope that you, who knew Sir Arthur for a great many years, may be able to throw a little light on something which frankly puzzles me." He took out his pocket-book, but before he opened it he glanced up from it and added: "By the way, I have some news which I think will please you. Information has been laid with me that looks like providing an alibi for Geoffrey Billington-Smith."
She inclined her head courteously. "I am very glad to hear it," she said. "Not that I ever imagined that Geoffrey had killed his father."
"You are very fond of him, Mrs. Twining, are you not?"
"Did I give you that impression?" she inquired.
"Decidedly," Harding said with a smile. "Was it a false one?"